Box.



UNITED %TAW PTENT (GFBTQE MILO H. DOYLE, OF BELLEPLAINE, AND WILLIAM H. SCHMITT, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

BOX.

No. 9o2,4s3.

Specificaton of Letters Patent.

Patnted Oct. 27, 1908.

Application filed October 12, 1907. Serial No. 397,180.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MiLo H. DOYLE and VVILIJIAM H. SCHMITT, citizens of the United States, and respectively residing at Belleplaine, in the county of Scott and State of Minnesota, and at St. Paul, in the county of Bamsey and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Box, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to improve the Construction of boxes for shipping produce and the like and to provide a simple, inexpensve and eficient box of this character of great strength and durability and adapted to be compactly folded for shipping, storing, or returning it to the shipper and capable, when folded, of forming a solid structure to prevent it from being broken or otherwise injured when so arranged.

A further object of the invention is to provide a folding shipping box aclapted to be readily secured in its operative and folded positions.

TVith these and other objects in view the invention consists of the novel Construction and arrangemcnt of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and further pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes in the form, p'oportion and similar details of Construction within the scope of the claims may be made without departing froni the spirit, or sacrficing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings Figure l is a perspective view of a folding box constructed in accordance with this invention and arranged for use; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the box, the same being folded; Fg. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same, the parts being in open position for use; Fig. i is a transverse sectional view of the same, the parts being in open position for use; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, the parts being in folded position; Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of the same, the parts being in folded position, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a hinge frame, one of which is used on each end of the box.

A designates a floor, B and C foldable ends, D and E foldable sides, and F a detachable cover composing our improved box. The sides and ends are adapted to fold inwardly upon the floor to form a compact parcel when the box is returned empty to the shipper, the ends turning downward first and the sides overlapping each other above the ends as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6.

The hinge connections by neans of which the sides and ends are adapted to fold upon the floor comprise a hinge frame G on each end of the box having a single transverse strap 2, side branches 3 and 4: and end branches 5 and 6 to which side hinge leaves 7 and 8 and end hinge leaves 9 and 10 are pivotally connected by means of pintles 11. The side branches 3 on the ends of the transverse strap are bent up over longitudinal sills 12 and 13 which are secured to the side edges of the floor of the box, the sills 12 projecting above the floor a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the side E and the sill 13 also projecting above the floor of the box a thickness equal to double the thickness of the side D so that When the sides are folded inwardly they are adapted to overlap each other and rest upon the ends above the floor. The side branches 3 and lare bent inwardly over the upper edges of the sills 12 and 13 and the pntle attachments 11 on the side branches are placed in the sides of the box close to the inner surfaces as shown in Fig. i. The pintle attachments on the end branches 5 and 6 are also placed adjoining the inner surfaces of the ends of the box as illustrated in Fig. 3 to permit the ends of the box to fold inwardly. The sides, ends and floor of the box are secured to the transverse straps and leaves of the hinge frames on the ends of the box by means of screws 1% or other suitable attachments passing through holes 15 in said parts and into the floor, sides and ends of the box. The side and end straps 7, 8, 9, and 10 of each hinge frame are provided with oifsets 25 extending from the outer surfaces of the box over the lower edges of the sides and ends and are secured to the pintles 11 as illustrated in Fig. 7. The side leaves are also provided with stops 26 which are formed by extensions and offset over the ends of the box to prevent said ends moving outward after they assume a vertical position. The inner extrcmities of these stops are formed with indents 16 which impinge into the ends, thus serving to prevent the sides from moving outwardly after they assume a vertical position. Thus an interlocking connection is effected between the sides and ends when opened for use.

The upper ends of the leaves of the hinge frames are formed with threaded shanlrs 17 which are slightly offset inwardly at 18 and are adapted to pass vertically through openings 19 in the cover to secure the latter on the sides and ends. These openings are recessed to permit burs 20 to be secured down upon the shanks flush with the surface of the cover. The branches 3 and 4 on the transverse straps are formed with vertical threaded shanks 21 which are slightly oifset inwardly and extend a su'flicient distance above the parts of the box when folded to be admitted and secured to the cover through the openings 19 adjoining the side edges of the cover as shown in Fig. 2. The side leaves of the hinge frame are slotted at 22 to admit the vertical threaded shanks 21 when said leaves are erect.

The transverse straps and leaves serve as cleats across the parts of the box to reinforce their strength and thus reduce the amount of material. necessary in construction. They also permit narrow dimension stock to be used which in effect produces economy, for instead of requiring a board the width of the side, a number of narrow strips can be used instead. The side E is shown recessed at 23 so as to receive the indent on the leaf members on the opposite side D when the box is folded.

In accordance with the patent statutes, we have described the principle of operation of our invention, together with the apparatus which we now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but we desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that 'the invention can be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set forth, within the scope of the following claims.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

1. A box, comprising a floor, ends, sides, cover, and a single piece hinge frame near each end of said box, the latter comprising a transverse strap secured across the floor, side leaves Secured across the sides and hinged to the ends of said transverse strap, and leaves secured across the ends and pivotally attached to said transverse strap intermediate of itsends, means on the upper ends of said leaves for detachably securing the cover to said sides and ends when the box is unfolded and means on said strap for securing the cover when the box is folded, for the purposes specified.

2. A box, comprising afloor,ends secured to said floor by hinged means, sides secured to said floor by hinged means, and a cover detachably secured to said hinged means, said hinged means comprising a single piece frame on each end of the box having a transverse strap across the floor and leaves across the sidcs and ends pivotally secured to said strap respectively at or near its ends and at or near points intermediate of its ends, said leaves having upon their free ends shanks adapted to pass through said cover when the box is unfolded and said strap, having shanks upon the ends adapted to pass through said cover when the box is folded and means upon said shanks for securing said cover upon said ends.

3. A box, comprising a floor, ends and sides secured to said floor by hinged means, and a cover adapted to be detachably secured to said sides and ends, said hinged means comprising a transverse strap across each end of the bottom, leaves pivoted to said strap and extending across the sides and ends, shanks upon the upper ends of said leaves and upon the strap, means upon said shanks for securing -said cover upon said sides and ends when the box is unfolded and for securing said cover upon the sides and ends when folded, and stops on the leaves extending across said sides adapted to limit the outward movement of said ends and provded with inturned impingements engaging said ends to limit the outward movement of said sides, for the purpose specified.

4:. A box, having a floor, hnged sides and ends, a detachable cover and a single piece hinge frame upon each end of said box, comprising a transverse strap across the floor having ofi'set branches extending upwardly and inwardly, leaves across said ends and sides provided with offset lower ends extending inwardly, pintle connections between said oflset ends, substantially vertical shanks upon the offset ends of said transverse strap, and means on said shanks for securing said cover on said sides and ends when the latter are folded.

5. A box, comprising a floor, ends, sides, cover, and a hinge frame near each end of said box, the latter comprising a transverse strap secured across the floor and having inturned off-sets, side leaves secured across the sides and ends and having inturned off-sets hinged to the off-sets on said strap, and means for detachably securing said cover on said sides.

6. A box, comprising a floor, ends secured to said floor by hinged means, sides secured to said floor by hinged means, and a cover detachably secured to said hinged means,

said hinged means comprising a single piece frame on each end of the box having a transverse strap across the floor having inturned off-sets and leaves across the sides and ends having inturned ofi-sets pivotally secured to the ofi-sets on said strap, said leaves and the ends of said straps having upon their ends shanks adapted to pass through said cover, and means upon said shanks for detachably securing said cover upon said sdes When folded and unfolded.

In testmony Whereof, We have signed our names to this specification, in the presence of the subscrbing witnesses.

MILO H. DOYLE. WILLIAM H. SCHMITT. Witnesses as to Milo H. Doyle:

F. C. IRWIN, JAKoB SGHMITT. VVitnesses as to William H. Schmitt:

H. C. FISCHER, F. G. BRADBURY. 

